Orange County lawmakers have little time to review new district maps

GOSHEN — A Republican-drawn plan reshaping Orange County's 21 legislative districts for the next decade will be subjected to its first and only public critique on Monday as lawmakers dash to approve a new political map in time for this year's elections.

GOSHEN — A Republican-drawn plan reshaping Orange County's 21 legislative districts for the next decade will be subjected to its first and only public critique on Monday as lawmakers dash to approve a new political map in time for this year's elections.

Legislature Chairman Michael Pillmeier and fellow Republican Legislator Katie Bonelli released the proposals to their colleagues and to the public for the first time on Feb. 27, leaving only a few weeks to gather input and make adjustments before lawmakers must adopt the new lines.

The Legislature was initially scheduled to vote on the once-a-decade redistricting plan on Thursday, but that special meeting has been moved forward a week, to March 21.

The county has had the 2010 census data needed to adjust its legislative districts for almost two years. But after months of planning behind the scenes, so little time remains to review the proposed maps that the Legislature must suspend a requirement in the county charter that new maps be in place 30 days before candidates begin petitioning to run for those seats.

Democrats have complained about being left out of the planning and now rushed into voting on the maps. But criticism of how the lines were moved has been muted, probably because Republicans resisted any ploys as obvious as putting incumbent Democrats into the same districts.

Whether by happenstance or design, the homes of several potential challengers have been carved out of the districts of Republican lawmakers.

The most conspicuous case is that of James Kulisek, a Democrat who unseated Republican Pat Berardinelli in 2005 and lost the seat back to Berardinelli in a close race in 2009. The Republicans' map changes would cut a notch out of City of Newburgh, moving Kulisek's neighborhood out of Berardinelli's district and into that of Mike Anagnostakis.

Berardinelli, who has stood by County Executive Ed Diana as other Republicans defected in votes on the Government Center and county nursing home, also stands to get the best enrollment boost of any legislator. Though his district would remain heavily Democratic, the split with Republican voters would narrow by 8 percentage points.

Democratic legislators are outnumbered by Republicans and unlikely to block the redistricting plan. If the Legislature did reject it, this year's elections for all 21 seats would follow existing lines, but they'd have to be repeated next year with whatever subsequent maps were drawn.

Opponents also could petition for a public referendum on the redistricting proposal, which would require collecting at least 10,000 signatures. They have 45 days after the enactment of the new lines to file a petition.

The Legislature's public hearing on the redistricting proposal will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at the Orange County Emergency Services Center in Goshen. The Legislature's Rules, Enactments and Intergovernmental Relations Committee is set to meet the next day to approve any changes. The proposals can be seen online on the county website, www.co.orange.ny.us.